Conger Fishing

CONGER FISHING

The Conger eel is one of the most powerful beasts of the sea to catch and gives a great days sport fishing aboard Ocean Warrior 3.

Conger live amongst the reefs and wrecks, the wrecks vary in size within the English Channel from small planes to submarines, big coasters and cargo ships of which a lot have been left from the world wars. The Conger eel appears to spawn in an area which stretches from the Sargasso Sea across the Atlantic to Gibraltar in waters to 1000-1500 fathoms deep and their spawning takes place in mid water. So during their growth they have to make their way to our waters to give anglers great fishing. They have been caught on rod and line to well over 100lb even though they have been caught commercially weighing over 250lb.

We fish up tide at anchor so the baits, such as mackerel flappers or cuttlefish can drift back in to the front or side of the super-structure of the wreckage depending on how it lays on the seabed. We would recommend using a 30 to 60lb class rod and reel along with a 50 to 60lb line to handle the job. Using a 1 to 2lb lead on a sliding boom to a swivel and trace attached to 200 to 350lb mono trace about a metre long with a size 8.0 to 10.0 hook. Conger are very hard fighters and great sport to catch which is why heavier gear is needed.

On Ocean Warrior 3, we expect our anglers to return the Conger back to sea alive after they have had their sport, to then allow someone else to have the experience of catching them. The biggest Conger caught so far with us, was aboard Ocean Warrior 2 and weighed 103lb, caught by Andy Matthews, of which was weighed at sea and returned alive.